The ICJ and the Judiciary of Lesotho will on 28th – 30th July 2010 hold a Judges’ Symposium in Maseru, Lesotho on the theme ‘Judicial Independence, Impartiality, Accountability and Reform in Lesotho’.
The ICJ has urged the Maoist Party to immediately desist from further intimidation against lawyers acting in the case of Arjun Lama (photo of his wife holding his picture).The ICJ aslo called on the Government to ensure the protection of human rights defenders acting on behalf of victims of both state and non-state actors.
Nepal-intimidation HR defenders stop-press release-2010 (full text in English, PDF)
The ICJ and other Human Rights groups today strongly condemned the conviction, and sentence to three years’ imprisonment, of Mr. Haytham Al-Maleh, a 79 years old prominent Syrian human rights lawyer.
This conviction was ordered on the grounds of “transferring false and exaggerated news that weaken national sentiments”, under Articles 285 and 286 of the Syrian Criminal Code. The charges arise from Mr. Al-Maleh’s interviews with the media in which he criticized, amongst other things, the continued use of the emergency laws in Syria and the ongoing control of the Syrian authorities over the judicial system.
Syria-conviction Al-Maleh-press release-2010 (full text in English, PDF)
The ICJ strongly condemns the decision of the Second Criminal Court of Damascus to convict Mr. Muhannad Al-Hasani, a prominent lawyer and human rights defender, and sentence him to three years imprisonment.
He was arrested on 28 July by officers of the Syrian General Intelligence Service and formally charged by an Investigating Judge on 12 October 2009 for“weakening national sentiments and encouraging racist and sectarian feelings”, and “transferring false and exaggerated news that weaken national sentiments” under Articles 285, 286 and 287 of the Penal Code.
Syria-Al-Hasani immediate release-press release-2009 (full text in English, PDF)
Syria-Al-Hasani persecution continues-press release-2010 (full text in English, PDF)
Syria-trial Al-Hasani Criminal Court-trial observation report-2010 (full text in English, PDF)
This symposium brought together African judges, lawyers, media actors, academics and human rights groups to enhance their participation in the Review Conference of the States Parties to the Rome Statute.
Co-hosted by the ICJ, the Human Rights Network of Uganda (HURINET-U) and the Uganda Coalition on the International Criminal Court (UCICC) in the last days leading up to the ICC Review Conference, the symposium focused on discussions around the four stocktaking issues – complementarity, cooperation, the impact of the Rome Statute system on victims and affected communities, and peace and justice – for which the participants identified urgent problems, articulated key priorities and recommended to the Assembly of State Parties actionable policies in a communiqué, which was handed over to Ambassador Christian Wenaweser, President of the Assembly of State Parties to the Rome Statute.
Uganda-symposium stocktaking processes-event-2010 (full text in English, PDF)
Uganda-symposium stocktaking processes-agenda-2010 (full text in English, PDF)
Uganda-communique state delegates-event-2010 (full text in English, PDF)
Thailand: Joint statement urges Thai authorities to drop charges against human rights defender Pimsiri Petchnamrob and end judicial harassment of peaceful protesters
HRC59: Statement on the High Commissioner’s report – addressing accountability gaps in Sri Lanka, Libya, and global attacks on justice
HRC59: Joint statement on the report of Special Rapporteur in Afghanistan
Israel/Iran: Israel’s attack on Iran violates international law, threatening peace and security